HSBC's iPhone app for online business banking warns customers that their reassuringly expensive Apple mobiles are in fact PCs - and insecure ones at that.
In a surprising cock-up, the bank's app incorrectly identifies the shiny phones as Windows PCs, and scolds fanbois for not having security watchdog software Rapport installed …

COMMENTS

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Re: Rapport Software

"It is Israeli software"

And that's about the only conclusion anybody can reach. It's crap software written by some company which happens to be from Israel.

However from that you've extrapolated it to be Israeli zionist regime controlled botnet designed to undermine the entire British banking system. Those are not reasonable extrapolations. Those are paranoia fuelled assertions with no basis in reality.

Though perhaps you really do have some evidence to back up those assertions? Saying what software *could* do is not the same as what it *does* do.

*sigh*

You know it surprises me that on even this site no one has realized that this probably isnt actually a problem.

Its very likely that the browser on the phone is set up to identify itself as a desktop browser (most probably IE). If it apes IE like the Symbian 7.3/7.4 browser then rapport is probably pulled down to install because of the numerous security problems with IE and the fact the server side equipment cannot tell the difference between an idiotOnSlab device (or Symbian or Android) masquerading as desktop IE and the real thing.

I have the dubious joys of banking with the "Worlds Local Mafia Front" and I use Opera on both desktop machines and phones/handhelds. I have never run into this 'rapport' request and it is not installed on my netbook running Windows 7.

Maybe someone from HSBC should clarify *exactly* what the usage cases are for this 'rapport' client and when and on what systems it is installed?

** Historical side note, Israel, for the last 1880 years has been referred to as 'Zion'. To be classified as a 'Zionist' for the majority of that time means nothing more than 'Jewish person wanting to go back to the 'home'land that Cyrus nicked for them'. Calling a piece of software that is written and produced in that country 'Zionist' is therefore entirely correct, if inflammatory, just the same as calling agrochemicals manufactured by Makteshim Agan the same thing is therefore entirely correct (just dont mention to the BASF sales director that you are buying from them...). The fact that every commentard on this thread has fallen for it, and claimed membership of the 'tinfoil hat brigade' for the person who mentioned it shows the usual lack of knowledge of the situation. Oh, and please remember, Israel are not the most popular country in that neck of the woods, something to do with the odd pre-emptive attack, being funded by the USA (well known for their respect for national boundaries), not to mention the odd 'what, other countries have legal rights over and above our thirst for revenge, who knew?' illegal extraction of wanted war criminals.

@Jemma

"Historical side note, Israel, for the last 1880 years has been referred to as 'Zion'. To be classified as a 'Zionist' for the majority of that time means nothing more than 'Jewish person wanting to go back to the 'home'land that Cyrus nicked for them'"

I think the operative word in that quote, is majority. Words chage their meaning over time, and since the early 20th century, the implication of the word 'Zionist' is that of a Jewish conspiracy. Whilst accusing the Jews of various crimes was historically a favoured past-time amongst the Christian peoples, it has fallen out of favour somewhat in the last century or so, along with the use of the swastika as a symbol of peace.

Therefore, to write about 'zionism' these days implies that the author believes there is a worldwide Jewish conspiracy, beyond the legitimate interests of the modern state of Israel. The author has duly earned his (or her) tinfoil headwear as a result of this misapprehension.

Re: @Jemma

Actually no - all it means in the purest form of the word 'meaning' is Zionist as I stated previously.

You are making the assumption that because some people floating around in the 18th, 19th century who were using the 'Zionist' label as an excuse for political troublemaking - that this person is trying to resurrect the same thing. Not to mention the fact of those lovable rogues known to history as the NSDAP.

90% of the people outside right-wing-nutjobs clubs, historians and the Jews (for whom it is a large part of their recent history) would have the faintest clue what 'Zionism/Zionist' actually means.

Heres a different thought - since the events of 33-45 - people dont like using the term 'Jewish' because of its connotations of racial abuse. Since 'Judean' is a little too retro, and Ashkenazi/Sephardim too confusing for the average chav.. using the term 'zionist' has no racial connotations.

Don't label people with your own assumptions and point of view when you know nothing about them.

Depending on you version of iOS, 5.0 in the case of this particular useragent. To avoid this misshap all that needs to be checked for is the word "Mobile" and possibly "iPhone" if you want to be clever and doubly sure.

What I think has happened is somebody is just checking for "Mac OS X", "Windows" and "Desktop" and ignoring everything else. If I'm not mistaken there is a lovely little piece of JavaScript you can get that will not just tell you the kind of device (phone, laptop, desktop, tablet) but also the OS and particular device in most cases.

Re: *sigh*

And not forgetting their terrorist activities including such pleasantries as deliberately targetting and and shooting children, using children as human shields, targetting medics and hospitals, shelling public beaches and civilan areas in general, numerous extrajudicial targetted excutions and murders - and using white phosphorus on civilians....

Re: @Jemma

Obviously IT was to blame...

It's funny that HSBC are so obviously cutting back in departments that actually count and yet they're making billions laundering money for middle eastern dictatorships(or not)...typical upper management..."Testers...surely the developers we outsourced in India do enough testing!" Even though their contract clearly stipulates they are responsible for development only.

Just speculating...and yes I'm a dev in a department who's just had our budget slashed by those 'up there' because they don't think it's necessary. Apparently quality control is so 20th century.

HSBC for Android works fine.

Well they got the insecure bit right - circa 300 known vulnerabilities in IOS according to Secunia. Quite amazing for such a simple product. Compare that to 1 known (non critical) vulnerability in Windows Phone, or even circa 200 in Windows 7.....

23456

Rapport? Repugnant

Bloated, inefficient, insecure and wholly unnecessary. Trusteer's known for having done deals with some of the UK's major banks (and some overseas) to push their Rapport security software. It probably works OK on an unprotected machine with no antivirus/internet security package but I've only ever seen it cause problems on a patched, protected machine.

Usually on those machines there's some fundamental loss of functionality - inability to access the Internet, error messages or crippled behaviour. Guess what fixes it? Removing the Rapport software. Terrible piece of sloppy programming which achieves nothing except infuriating the user.